Ramblings and doodlings of an unsettled mind!

Ramadhan in the holiest in Islam lunar calendar. This month should not be used to slander, with an ill intent. In her effort to uphold Opposition’s ‘Politics of Hatred’, Lembah Pantai MP and PKR Vice President Nurul Izzah Anwar is already on that verge of slander, with manipulation and distortion of facts, designed to instill doubts on the rakyat’s mind.

Nurul Izzah: Faulty radar supplier awarded KLIA2 contract

By Hafidz Baharom

July 20, 2012

Nurul Izzah said AAT did not meet the technical requirements needed for it to secure the contract. — File pic

PETALING JAYA, July 20 ― PKR has revealed another Putrajaya contract issued to a company that was not recommended for the job, adding today that purported recipient is also controlled by a son of Umno MP Datuk Seri Jamaluddin Jarjis.Citing documents in her possession, PKR vice president Nurul Izzah Anwar alleged today that Advanced Air Traffic Systems (M) Sdn Bhd (AAT), the firm involved in the faulty air traffic control system in Subang, has now been awarded a similar project for KLIA2.

She said AAT was awarded the contract even though another firm, AMP Corporation (M) Sdn Bhd (AMCOP), had been identified by qualified consultants as more suitable for the job.

“After Malaysians were shocked over the problems of the radar system developed by Selex Sistemi Integrati (SELEX) and AAT at the National Air Traffic Control Centre (NATCC) in Subang, PKR now understands that one of these firms was awarded a project for KLIA2 even though they were the losing bid,” said the Lembah Pantai MP told a press conference here.

AAT is linked to Ikwan Hafiz Jamaluddin through a company called Tirai Variasi, of which he is the largest shareholder. Ikhwan is the son of Jamaluddin, Malaysia’s Ambassador to the US with ministerial status. SELEX is also alleged to own 30 percent of AAT.

According to the Lembah Pantai MP, her allegations were based on a report she sourced from Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd’s hired consultant, AECOM.

“For the KLIA2 project, a firm called AECOM was hired as consultants to MAHB and began collecting information, data and reports since February 2010 in order to present a comprehensive opinion, especially in three aspects which are the air control system, procedures and equipment,” she said.

She added that AECOM also had reservations with the efficiency of SELEX’s system and recommended that it be upgraded in order to cope with expected flight capacity once KLIA2 begins operations.

“According to the technical valuation report by AECOM dated December 9, 2011, they recognised the ability of AMCOP to carry out the said contract better and had endorsed them, but in the end the contract was handed to AAT ― a firm that, according to the report, did not meet the technical specifications needed for this project,” Nurul Izzah said.

She also pointed out that while the cost of AAT’s bid was lower compared to AMCOP’s, approval could only be given if AAT met all technical aspects listed, which they did not.

According to Nurul, MAHB’s special procurement committee meeting had also clearly given their valuation and recommendation for AMCOP to be chosen on March 15 this year.

“The choice of AAT is surprising because prior to this, AAT was already embroiled in a controversy that questioned the effectiveness and safety of Malaysia’s air traffic system as well as air transport passengers, through internal memos which lists the flaws and stability maintenance of the MIP-2 radar system for the Subang Airport,” she said.

Nurul Izzah also said that MAHB and the Transport Ministry must now justify awarding the air traffic control system for KLIA2 to AAT given the firm’s track record.

Last month, the PKR leader had highlighted that the ministry awarded a RM128.4 million contract via “closed tender” to Selex and AAT to develop the radar system for the NATCC.

Nurul Izzah said that the system installed at the NATCC by AAT and Selex was “so flawed controllers revert to the old system of not using radar,” putting the lives of millions of passengers at risk.

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In this The Malaysian Insider story, Nurul Izzah threw the name of firms such as KLIA air traffic control (ATC) system maintenance AMP Corporation (AMCOP) and consultants appointed by MAHB for the KLIA2 project AECOM in her mitigation indirectly out to implicate former Malaysian Ambassador to United States of America Dato’ Seri Dr Jamaluddin Md Jarjis in the tone of cronyism for the KLIA2 ATC system and the maintenance of NATCC.

However before the Vice President of a party of nepotism and family first (her fomer-abuse-0f-power-convict father is party Adviser, mother is President and widely speculated that her sister would be a party candidate in the upcoming 13 GE) continuously shoots her mouth, she better do some serious checking. Probably she did but purposely manipulated information that could be used for political demonisation.

Let us have the record straight. AMCOP is the firm maintaining the KLIA ATC system since three years ago after winning the tender. All the other ATC system and NATCC is being maintained by AAT. AAT is ISO certified and employs 120 certified mechanical engineers (ME) for the ATC system. They won all bids and they have been maintaining the system well, above international and ICAO standards.

“The availability and safety standard of International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), the international regulator for civil aviation, is 99.5%. AAT has thus far provided excellent maintenance services to Malaysian ATM systems operated by Department of Civil Aviation (DCA) delivering system operational availability averaging 99.97% continuously for the past 17 years and without any air safety incident. To infer otherwise in that safety has been compromised is both malicious and irresponsible. It is to be noted further that AAT’s capabilities and services are not only in support of ATM’s systems within Malaysia but also exported to other countries like China, India, Nepal, Myanmar and the Middle East.”

If the Malaysian ATC system has shown no ‘air misses’ the past 17 years, why is Nurul Izzah making statements that KLIA2 ATC systems project was awarded to a faulty radar supplier?

The KLIA2 ATC system is an interesting project. MAHB appointed a consultant AECOM to look into the system requirement and make necessary recommendations. AECOM proposed that MAHB go into negotiations with AMCOP for the ATC system. It is believed that the AMCOP proposed bid was RM 111 million. It is above MAHB budget of RM 100 million.

Then, it was highlighted to Second Minister of Finance (MOF2) Dato’ Seri Ahmad Husni Hanadzlah the MAHB was negotiating directly with AMCOP for the job and the bid was above the budget. MOF2 summarily asked for a tender for the job to be opened. Amongst the bidders in this tender is AAT. AAT bid was for RM 85 million against AMCOP’s RM 101 million. Despite there was a tender and AMCOP was not the lowest bidder, AECOM as the consultant advised MAHB to award to the tender to AMCOP anyway.

Nurul Izzah highlighted that AECOM recommended AMCOP be awarded the job. This advice was flawed. This is because:

1. There was no technical clarification by MAHB before deciding on the award of the contract. The bidders were not called by AECOM and have MAHB present to have their bid presented and technically evaluated.

2. The tender document prepared by the consultant AECOM was flawed because “INTEGRATION” between new KLIA 2 tower and current Air Traffic Control Centre (ATCC) in Subang (currently manage by AAT with Selex as OEM) was not included in TENDER SPECIFICATION but only in Tender Bill of Quantity.Under TENDER SPECIFICATION, if any tenderer did not meet specification, they will be disqualified immediately without MAB opening their commercial offer. However, the consultant hide this requirement under Tender Bill of Quantity which meant that INTEGRATION is not pre requisite in evaluating the tenderer and whoever selected eventually must do the INTEGRATION.

3. It was also highlighted to MOF 2 and MAHB that AMCOP price of RM105 million is a ATC system stand alone price for the KLIA2 new ATC tower and shouldn’t be regarded as a final cost for MAHB, as there will be additional cost to integrate AMCOP’s system into the main ATCC system.

The fact is that AAT bid price of RM85 million is comprehensive and final price and include INTEGRATION into the main ATCC system, stationed in NATCC outside Lapangan Terbang Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Shah, Subang, Selangor.

It was highlighted to MOF2 and MAHB that no parties could integrate any system at new KLIA 2 tower with ATCC in Subang without AAT and Selex participation and the fact is that AMCOP never bothered to ask AAT how much it cost to integrate into the main existing system, which is under AAT maintenance.

The fact that Nurul Izzah should investigate who is behind AECOM. The main personality for the project in Malaysia in Tanapaal Balakrishnan. Between Feb 2007 and Apr 2009, Tanapaal was employed by Dato’ Mustapha Abdul Rahman in AMCOP and was the Project and Intergration Manager for the DCA LCAT upgrade project. It was convenient for AMCOP since less than a year after joining AECOM, MAHB commission the consulting firm for KLIA2 in Feb 2010. Naturally, AECOM acted the manner they did and favoured AMCOP despite that:

1. AMCOP’s bid was not the lowest

2. AMCOP’s bid did not include integration into the main ATCC system

3. The bidders were not called to present their themselves and do technical presentation, until a complaint was lodged with MOF2

There are fundamental issues here which got us wondering why Nurul Izzah is very persistent about going after AAT in all the issues involving the airports and ATC system. This is clearly a business issue between AAT winning the bid (offering the lowest price and best deal, which include integration to ATCC) against AMCOP (which bid price is actually above MAHB budget and integration into ATCC system not factored in). Moreover, AAT is technically competent and as opposed to Nurul Izzah’s attempt to demonize the company, it is with an impeccable service record, even by ICAO standards.

Nurul Izzah now should explain why she is persistent. She even firmly stated that AMCOP was technically more competent compared to AAT even though AMCOP did not even provide how they would integrate KLIA2 ATC system into ATCC and had no track record of doing so. In fact in its own website, AMCOP “was created to cater for the maintenance of Malaysia Sea Surveillance System (MSSS)”.

People in the ATC community now are wondering whether Nurul Izzah has direct or indirect interest with AMCOP, since all her statements are obviously leaning in AMCOP’s favour and intentionally demonizing AMCOP’s opponent, AAT. Her previous statement when she went after AAT was clearly defective.

There is another issue why Nurul Izzah working in tandem with The Malaysian Insider and Malaysiakini in their concerted effort to demonize AAT. In their reporting, the absence of why didn’t MI/MK talk to AMCOP and getting the quote for unfairly losing the job and AECOM for their comments on the award to AAT is very glaring. Are these two firms are the pro-Opposition online news portal and YB Lembah Pantai MP sources?

The Malaysian Insider news portal also is not reflective that they learned from the ‘Sandering Tajudin Ramli episode’, where almost needed to pay RM200 million in claims. Their choice of this story’s title could land them with another law suit and eventually, another apology in the mainstream media.

This is a month of repentance. It is a month abstinence. Someone should remind Nurul Izzah about what this month should be about.

Some people may think that during the fasting month we should just keep quiet in contemplation and reflection. It needs not be so. Here are a few paragraphs copied from a comment in Jebat Must Die blog:

“Indeed, as the general election looms, the onslaught of malicious, seditious and repulsive words will appear, notwithstanding the fasting month. Particularly when the Sedition Act 1948 has been repealed and has not been replaced with an alternative set of laws.

The question is: what do Muslims and Malays do when they become the target of those unacceptable words? Keep quiet or react? Googling for guidelines and advice, the first thing one comes across is Wikipedia information. One write-up provides a list of about a dozen wars said to have taken place starting from the Battle of Badr early in Islamic history. But none of those cases are linked to authoritative sources, and one cannot accept the reliability of the message associated with that write up.

Abdullah Yusuf Ali, translator and commentator of “The Meaning of the Holy Qur’an”, written in the 1930s – 1940s, published by the International Institute of Islamic Thought, 1991, when translating and commentating on Surah Al Baqarah 2:185 Ramadan, said, “War is permissible in self-defence and under well-defined limits.” (His commentary No. 204). And I’m only talking about verbal war here.

The man was a Lecturer in Greek History, spent many years in London where he was exposed to many translations of the Qur’an, studied what was written about the Qur’an in European and Eastern languages. His interpretation of the Qur’an has been well respected, and copies of the Qur’an given out by the Embassy of Saudi Arabia (the country is custodian of the Islamic heritage) to those interested in learning about Islam, use the translation and commentary of Abdullah Yusuf Ali, too. So, perhaps reacting to verbal abuse against Malays, Muslims and the institutions that represent them made during the fasting month is allowable.”

Malaysian Insider and Malaysia Kini cannot be expected to seek information that will clarify anything they want to print. They are Opposition blogs that’ll print anything that puts the Establishment in bad light.

MI was sued by Tajuddin Ramli until they had to apologize repeatedly in their own blog and in the mainstream papers. MK was given a warning by Home Minister Hishamuddin for reporting what he said inaccurately.

They are not “news portals”. They are simply Opposition blogs.

Nurul Izzah doesn’t have to “work with” MI and MK. Any Opposition bloke can simply say almost anything that’s derogatory to the Establishment and they’ll get published.

It’s clear Nurul does not have certain pertinent facts. It’s the usual Opposition allegations mentioning only the facts that serve their purpose. The rakyat should be aware of them.

i think beneath that hijab is a natural ‘blonde’ hair covered w back hair. its easy to see based on her actions n tweets n speeches n writings n etc etc, she was born ‘blonde!!’..well, stupid dumb blonde!! need i say more??

[…] AMP Corporation Sdn Bhd (AMCOP) also bid for the KLIA2 radar system. It was discussed earlier that AMCOP proposal wasn’t the lowest, didn’t include the integration with the main radar sys… and there was some play involved, probably hanky-panky, in the evaluation for the said […]

[…] Nurul Izzah and Pua have been on the ‘character assassination’ track for quite a bit now, especially manipulating inaccurate facts and then sensationalise it, with a malice intent. The more recent was the radar system for the ATC Tower II for the upcoming KLIA2 terminal. […]

[…] the rakyat. Since as individuals entrepreneur Fernandes, party strategist Pua and political slut Nurul did not positively contribute of the delivery KLIA2 but as competent and incorrigible liars instead […]